In Search of Mercy

Q: What does the Bible say about mercy?

The Bible speaks of mercy as a loving attribute of God, where He forgives and pardons sinners. Mercy is a central theme in the Bible, frequently highlighted in both the Old and New Testaments. In Psalm 51, for instance, David pleads for mercy from God, acknowledging his sins and seeking forgiveness. The concept is foundational, as God’s mercy is described as being 'plenteous' and integral to His nature, alongside His justice (Psalm 51:1-2). Throughout Scripture, God demonstrates His mercy toward humanity, particularly in the redemptive work of Christ, where sin is forgiven and grace is offered to sinners who confess their need for mercy.

Q: How do we know God's mercy is true?

God's mercy is evidenced in His willingness to forgive those who genuinely repent and seek Him. The truth of God's mercy is demonstrated throughout Scripture, especially in the context of repentance and forgiveness. In Psalm 51, David's cry for mercy is based on God’s steadfast love and abundant mercy (Psalm 51:1). God explicitly shows that His disposition is to forgive; as depicted in His interactions with sinners—He is quick to pardon when we come in genuine confession and desire for change. This truth is echoed in the New Testament as well, where Jesus assures us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9), illustrating that His mercy is not only true but also accessible to all who seek it.

Q: Why is confession important for Christians?

Confession is crucial as it leads to forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Confession holds a vital place in the life of a Christian as it acknowledges our sinfulness and need for God's mercy. In Psalm 51:3-4, David openly confesses his transgressions, understanding that genuine confession is essential for obtaining God’s forgiveness. The Bible teaches that without confession, there can be no forgiveness (Proverbs 28:13), as the act of confessing is an admission of guilt and a recognition of God's holiness. Moreover, confession fosters a relationship with God where we continuously rely on His grace and mercy, which rejuvenates our spiritual life and reaffirms our dependence on Him for cleansing and renewal.

Q: What is the remedy for sin according to Psalm 51?

The remedy for sin is found in God's mercy through the blood of Christ, which cleanses and purifies. In Psalm 51, David implores God to 'purge' him with hyssop so that he may be clean (Psalm 51:7). This act symbolizes the need for purification, which is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ is the true means of atonement and cleansing from sin (1 John 1:7). David’s plea reflects an understanding that human efforts are insufficient to achieve righteousness; instead, it is God’s grace and the sacrificial blood that provide true cleansing and reconciliation. The remedy for our sin problem lies not in our works but in the gracious and merciful nature of God that is revealed in Christ’s redemptive work.

I don't know whether many of
you or any of you open your Bibles and follow while I'm speaking
and bringing the message, but if you do or if you ever have
or if you do it for the first time, I wish you would today.
I'd like for you to open your Bibles to Psalm 51. Psalm 51. I'm going to preach today from
one of my favorite scriptures, Psalm 51. And the title of the
message is this, In Search of Mercy. In Search of Mercy. And I am. Are you in search of
mercy? I'm in search of mercy. I want
mercy. I don't want justice. I don't
want pity. I want pardon, forgiveness, mercy, grace. Don't you? Well,
that's what this psalm is all about, In Search of Mercy. And I want to read to you, first
of all, before we get into the scripture itself, I want to read
to you what some of the great preachers of the past have had
to say about this particular psalm, Psalm 51. What some of
the great writers and preachers of many years ago had to say
about this Psalm 51. Thomas Chalmers said this, he
said, this is the most deeply affecting of all the Psalms,
and it's the one most applicable to me. This Psalm is one of the
most deeply affecting Psalms and the one most applicable to
me. There was a preacher called William
Plummer, one of the great writers, and he said this, Psalm 51, listen,
is the sinner's guide and the believer's comfort. That's good,
isn't it? Psalm 51 is the sinner's guide
and the believer's comfort. Martin Luther, most everybody
has heard the name Martin Luther. He lived five or six hundred
years ago, the great reformer. He had this to say about Psalm
51. There is no psalm of the 150
psalms which is oftener sung or prayed in our worship services. than Psalm 51. It is perhaps
the favorite of all believers. Psalm 51. Charles Spurgeon, who
pastored in England for many years, one of the most well-known
preachers of the last 200 years, one of the greatest. Charles
Spurgeon said this about Psalm 51. He said, David wrote this
psalm, when the divine message had aroused his conscience, and
made him to see two things. David wrote this psalm when the
divine message had aroused his conscience and made him to see
two things. One, the greatness of his guilt,
and two, the greatness of God's mercy. That's what this psalm
is all about, the greatness of our guilt and the greatness of
his mercy. That means I don't know who said
this, but it's been handed down for centuries. Someone said about
Psalm 51, this is the brightest gem in the whole book of Psalm. Psalm 51 contains instructions
and truths so precious and so wonderful that the tongues of
angels could not do justice to the full development of this
psalm. And that's true. When I read
it, and I've read it oh so many, many times, when we read it,
we see that no angel or no man could do justice to a commentary
on Psalm 51. But I want us to look at a few
verses. Let's just take the first ten verses. And I'll ask you
to read the rest of it later. But let's look at the first 10
verses of Psalm 51, and I'm going to divide it in order to have
an outline, in order to help you remember what we taught today. I'm going to divide it in five
parts. The first two verses, we look at God's mercy. The second
two verses, verses 3 and 4, we're going to look at David's confession.
And then in verses 5 and 6, we're going to look at the real problem,
the root of the matter. And then in verses 7 and 8, we're
going to look at the remedy. There's a remedy. There's a way
out of the mess we're in. And then fifthly, in the last
two verses, 9 and 10, we'll look at the results of a visitation
of grace and mercy on the heart of a sinner. First of all, David
talks about God's mercies in verses 1 and 2. Look at them
there, verses 1 and 2. He says, Have mercy upon me,
O God. Have mercy upon me, O God, according
to Thy lovingkindness, according to the multitude of Thy tender
mercies. Blot out my transgressions. Wash
me. The word is throughly, throughly. throughout, wash me throughly
from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Have mercy upon
me, O God." Do you know the word mercy and merciful and mercies
is used in the Word of God over 336 times? Mercy, mercy, mercy,
mercy, mercy. Three hundred and thirty-six
times. Thank God He's merciful. He's
plenteous in mercy. You see, mercy is as much a part
of the divine nature as justice. Mercy is as much a part of the
divine nature as righteousness. He said, I'm a just God, yes,
but I'm a Savior. I'm both. I'm a just God and
a Savior. God is holy, holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty. But God is love. God is just. God will by no means clear the
guilty. He must punish sin, but He's
gracious. There's forgiveness with thee.
David once wrote in Psalm 130, Lord, if thou shouldest mark
an iniquity, who would stand? But he said, there's forgiveness
with thee. God is just, but God is gracious. God is righteous, but God is
merciful. You know, when Moses had brought
the children of Israel out of Egypt. And they were out there
camped in the wilderness. And they were sort of bogged
down. They were living off of the manna and the water from
the rock. And the people were murmuring
and finding fault with Moses' leadership. And Moses was greatly
troubled and depressed in spirit. And he went out to the tent of
meeting where God met with him. And he had three requests of
the Lord. He asked him three things. Here's
a troubled leader, Moses, the burden of leading these two or
three million people across a desert to a promised land. He said,
Lord, show me your way. That was his first request. Show
me your way. Your way. Secondly, he said,
Lord, if you don't go with us, don't let us move. from where
we are. I don't even want to go if you
don't go with me." Then thirdly, he said, Lord, show me your glory. Show me your greater glory. Moses
had seen miraculous things. He'd seen the most unusual things,
mighty miracles. He'd performed miracles by the
power of God. And here he is wanting to see
God's glory. And the Lord spoke to him. He said, Moses, I will cause
all my goodness to pass before thee, and I will proclaim the
name of the Lord. I will be merciful to whom I
will be merciful. I will be gracious to whom I
will be gracious. That's my glory. God's glory
is in saving sinners, not damning them. God's glory is in mercy,
not justice. His justice is glorious. Just
and holy are all of his judgments. But the most wonderful thing
about God is His goodness, His love, and His grace. See, David,
and David seizes upon this attribute. That's the first words he says
in this Psalm 51, have mercy. Not pity. It's not pity David
wanted, it's mercy. Not justice. David isn't saying,
give me what I deserve. He's saying, Lord, give me what
I don't deserve. Mercy Dave is not asking God to reward his
diligence. He's asking God to forgive his
sins According and here's the basis on which he pleads Have
mercy upon me according to the multitude of your tender mercies
according to the greatness of your mercies Now that's that's
his request That's his have mercy upon me and father listen and
blot out my transgressions, and wash me throughly, within and
without, from all my iniquities, and cleanse me, cleanse me from
my sin." On what basis? That I deserve it? No. That I'll
be faithful the rest of my life? No. That I'll serve you? No. I want you to blot out my
transgressions and wash me throughly from my iniquity and cleanse
me from my sins according to the multitude of your tender
mercies, according to your loving kindness. Have mercy. The mercy of God. All right,
look at verses 3 and 4. And here we have a confession
of sin. And my friends, you can be sure of one thing. You can
be absolutely certain of this one thing. Listen to me. You
can be sure of this one thing. There will be no forgiveness
of sin where there's no confession of sin. Now, you can bank on
that. So here's what David says. He's
asking for mercy. He's asking for God to blot out
his transgressions and wash him thoroughly and cleanse him from
his sins on the basis of God's grace and mercy. And then he
said, Far, I acknowledge my transgressions. I acknowledge them. My sin is
ever before me. Against thee and thee only have
I sinned. And I've done this evil in your
sight that you might be justified when you speak and clear when
you judge. I'm a sinner. There'll be no
forgiveness where there's no confession. The scripture says,
if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Scripture
says, if we judge ourselves, we'll not be judged. There'll
be no mercy where sin's covered. He that covereth his sins shall
not find mercy. But whoso confesseth and forsaketh
his sins shall find mercy. Whosoever covereth his sins shall
not prosper. He shall not find mercy. He shall
not be forgiven. But whoso confesseth and forsaketh
his sins shall find mercy. Now, we're awful good at covering
our own sins and confessing somebody else's. Let me say that again. We're awfully good at covering
our sins and all our family's sins and confessing everybody
else's sin. But grace is based on the opposite. Love covereth other people's
sins. Love won't tell on another person.
Love covereth a multitude of sins. Love covers the sins of
others and confesses our own. That's right. You see, note the
honesty and openness of this confession. He says, my sin is
ever before me. It's mine. I acknowledge my transgressions. I confess my sins. Against thee
and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight.
that you might be just when you speak and clear when you judge
me. This is an open, honest confession.
No alibi, no excuses. I have sinned. You'll never find an ear or have
an audience with God on the subject of mercy and grace and forgiveness
till you come as a sinner with a rope around your neck. You
see, this is serious. He said, I've sinned against
thee, against thee and thee only. And my sins ever before me, it's
on my mind, it's on my heart, it's on my thoughts, it's ever
before me. I can't forget it. I've sinned against you. And
this is highly important here. He says, Lord, I confess my sins. I've sinned against you, that
you might be just when you speak. and clear when you judge. In
other words, if you damn me, you're just and righteous. I
get what I deserve. That's what the thief on the
cross said. I'm getting what I deserve. But this man has done
nothing amiss. I'm getting what I deserve. I
talked to a highway patrolman one time. He said, you know,
everybody ought to understand that if I pull you over to the
side, And I get out of my car and walk up to your window. Best
thing you can do is say guilty. Now, if you start arguing with
me and claiming that you weren't violating the law, you're calling
me a liar. You're questioning my integrity.
The best thing you can do is just say guilty. And you might
get off with a warning. But if you start questioning
my integrity, you're going to get the hardest ticket I can
give. And this is what David is saying, Lord, I'm guilty.
I take my place before you as a sinner and admit it. And when
you judge me, you're just. And when you condemn me, you're
righteous. If any man says he has no sin, he makes God a liar.
You see what I'm saying? I tell the man, you're wrong. I'm right, you're wrong. He says,
you're calling me a liar. Yeah, you're calling God a liar
when you profess to be just and righteous and without sin. If
any man says he has no sin, he deceives himself, and the truth's
not in him. If any man says he has no sin, he makes God a liar.
All right, thirdly, here's verse 5 and 6. Here's the root of the
matter. Here's the real problem. It comes
down to the root now. We're getting down to where the
problem is. David first says, Lord, I'm looking
for mercy. I'm in search of mercy. I confess
my sins. Now, look at verse 5. Here's
my whole problem. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity. In sin, my mother conceived me. Behold, thou desires truth in
the inward part. God looks on the heart. God desires
truth of the heart and nature, principle, not just outward deeds. The people of our, when our Lord
was here on the earth, he said, you call me Lord with your lips,
but your hearts are far from me. It's not what a man puts
in his mouth that defiles him. It's what comes out of his heart.
And David said, that's my whole trouble. I was born in sin. I was shaped in an iniquity.
I was brought forth from a womb speaking lies. Here's the root
of the whole matter. God looks on the heart. That's
where our problem is. Listen, Jeremiah said the heart
is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. We were
born in sin. We came forth from the womb sinners. You see, my friends, you don't
have to teach children to lie. They're born knowing how to lie. You have to teach them to tell
the truth. You don't have to teach a child to hate or to be
selfish or to be covetous. What's wrong? It's a principle,
it's a nature, it's seeing that's born in us. Just leave them alone
and they'll walk just like the rest of Adam's race. And David
said, that's my problem. That's my problem. It's not enough
to confess that the water's bad, the fountain's bad. It's not
just the water I need fixing up, it's the fountain I need
changing. It's not enough to confess that
my deeds are wrong, my heart is wrong. It's not enough to
confess my bad deeds. Even my good deeds are full of
self. My righteousness is a filthy
rag. Our Lord said, you justify yourselves
before men. But God looks on the heart. And
that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination to
God. David said, Lord, here's my problem. I'm looking for mercy, forgiveness,
grace. Blot out my transgressions. Wash
me. Wash me. Cleanse me. Because I acknowledge my sin.
My sins are ever before me. Against thee have I sinned. And
you're right when you charge me. I'm guilty. And my problem
is within. My problem is within. My problem
is my heart, my nature, born this way. Not just the water
that's bad, it's the fountain that pollutes the water. That's
the problem. Now look at, here's the remedy.
Thank God there's a remedy. We've seen God's mercy and David's
confession. We've seen the root of the matter.
Now, notice the remedy. David says, Lord, purge me with
hyssop and I'll be clean. Purge me with hyssop and I'll
be clean. Purge me with hyssop and I'll
be clean You know the old catholic doctrine of purgatory Been around
a long time. This was one of the things that
luther fought so strongly was Purgatory indulgences and selling
indulgences and things like that The old doctrine of purgatory
was this here it is That everybody dies Believers unbelievers everybody
and they all go to purgatory Purgatory remember that word
now they all go to purgatory and stay in purgatory until their
sins are purged Until somebody up here pays enough money or
praise enough prayers or they spend enough time in purgatory
Suffering and then they let them out and they go to heaven Well,
that's foolish and it's contrary to God's Word But one thing about
it's true if we go to heaven We're gonna have to be purged
from our sins Heaven's a holy place built by a holy God for
holy people. And nothing shall enter therein
that worketh or maketh a lie, but perfect holiness. We've got
to be perfect to enter his kingdom. Got to be holy. We've got to
be purged. And this is what David's asking
for. Purge me. Purge me. Purge me. Purge me with hyssop and I'll
be clean. Hyssop? Now, the first time the
word hyssop is mentioned in the Bible, and you always want to
remember this now. Listen to Brother Mahan. When
you come across a word in the Scriptures and you wonder what
it means and what it refers to, go back to the first time it's
used in the Bible, the very first time. It's the law of first mention. And whatever it means the first
time, that's what it means right on through. And hyssop is used
the first time in the book of Exodus. Exodus chapter 12, verse
22. And that's when Moses told the
children of Israel, God's coming over tonight at midnight, and
Almighty God is going to strike the firstborn in every home dead. Now you take a lamb, kill the
lamb, take the blood in a basin, and take hyssop and dip it in
the blood. Hyssop is a plant, a certain
kind of plant, shrub. Dip it in the blood. and strike
it on the lintel and the doorpost of your house. Dip the hyssop
in the blood, put it on the doorpost. God says, when I see the blood,
I'll pass over you. That's what David's praying.
Take the hyssop in the blood of the lamb and put it on my
heart. Purge me with hyssop and I'll
be clean. And when God came through that
night, nobody in a house where the blood was on the door, died. That's right, but everybody else
did. Purge me with hyssop, and I'll be clean. Wash me, wash
me, wash me, what? In the blood of the Lamb. The
blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin.
Wash me, and I'll be whiter than the snow. Purge me with hyssop,
wash me in the blood, and I'll be clean. You see, there's a
fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins, and sinners
plunge beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains. And
then he says this, And joy and gladness will reign in my heart,
and the bones which thou hast broken shall rejoice. You heal
me, purge me with hyssop, the blood of Christ. Calvary covers
it all. What can wash away my sin? Nothing
but the blood. Purge me with hyssop, and I'll
be clean. Wash me, and I'll be whiter than snow. Make me to
hear joy and gladness, good news that my sins are pardoned, that
the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice." Now here's the
results, verse 9 and 10. Listen to this. I'd like to take
a long time on this, but just got a short time left. Lord,
hide thy face from my sins. Is that possible? That even God
would not see our sins. If they're under the blood, He
doesn't. He said, their sins will I remember no more. In fact,
He said, I'll separate their sins from them as far as the
east is from the west. That's infinity. He said, I'll
cast their sins behind my back in the depths of the sea. Hide
thy face from my sins. Remember my sins no more. Then
secondly, He said, blot out my iniquities. Just blot them out.
Blot them out. They don't exist. It's like the
mercy seat. You know, when the mercy seat
covered the Ark, Ark of the Covenant, there was the Ten Commandments
in that Ark of the Covenant, broken law. And the mercy seat
over the top, beaten gold. And the priest would come in
once a year and sprinkle the hyssop and the blood on that
mercy seat and blot out their transgressions. Mercy seat means
perpetuation, covering, You blot them out. They don't exist. And then he says, create in me
a clean heart where worship becomes a delight, not a duty. Where fellowship with God becomes
a feast and not a time of boredom. Create in me a clean heart. Clean
heart. That comes in regeneration. That's
what our Lord said to Nicodemus, you've got to be born again.
God will take that old stony heart out and give you a heart
of flesh. He'll take that old deceitful heart out and give
you a heart that's not double, that's fixed. My heart is fixed
on Him, creating me a clean heart. And then He says, renew a right
spirit within me. That's that growth in grace,
a right spirit, renewed day by day through the washing of regeneration
and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. That's what takes place.
Now, if you want this message, it's called, In Search of Mercy.
In Search of Mercy. Psalm 51. I think it's one of
the greatest psalms ever written. Like, I read to you some of the
testimonies of these great old preachers of the past. One of
the greatest psalms ever written. I'd like for you to get this
tape, maybe get it for a friend. Loan it to somebody. Give it
to somebody. Order as many as you want to.
I have this message, In Search of Mercy, on one side of the
tape. And on the other side of the tape, I have a message, These
All Died in Faith. And both messages will be on
the same tape. But if you'll write to us, here's the address,
the announcer will give it to you, and you send two dollars
and we'll send you this tape with both messages, In Search
of Mercy and These All Died in Faith. Try to join us next week
at this same time. Until then, this is Henry Mahan
bidding you a pleasant good day.

In Search of Mercy

What does the Bible say about mercy?

How do we know God's mercy is true?

Why is confession important for Christians?

What is the remedy for sin according to Psalm 51?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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In Search of Mercy

What does the Bible say about mercy?

How do we know God's mercy is true?

Why is confession important for Christians?

What is the remedy for sin according to Psalm 51?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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